English Jews thrilled at winning World Cup

ZAKI COOPER

Our rabbi, a passionate cricket supporter, referred to the tense finale in his sermon. Although he was forced to miss the super over as he needed to make his way to synagogue for ma’ariv (evening prayer service), he was ecstatic when he heard the result on his arrival.

England’s victory captivated the nation. For a country that invented the sport, this win in the tournament was long overdue. It was the fourth time England had hosted the tournament, and they were runners-up three times previously (1979, 1987, and 1992). It will give cricket a much-needed boost in this country at a time when it faces stiff competition from many other sports, notably football and rugby.

The Anglo-Jewish community has been enjoying this special summer of cricket. Fans have been attending Lord’s at every opportunity, whether for Middlesex matches or for England’s test match this week against Ireland. Tickets for the second test against Australia at Lord’s in three weeks are like gold dust, and no doubt, several kippot will be spotted in the crowd. It won’t be difficult to assemble a minyan (prayer quorum) during the interval for mincha (afternoon prayer service).

In the meantime, the South African Jewish diaspora in London was disappointed by the lacklustre performance of the Proteas in the World Cup. Back in 1990, well-known politician Norman Tebbit controversially questioned the allegiance of immigrant groups from Asia and the Caribbean to the United Kingdom (UK), suggesting that loyalty to the country should be tested by whether they support England or their “mother country” at cricket. Things have moved on since then, and in an age of multiple identities, the “Tebbit Test” is too crude a measure of identity.

Certainly, talking to South African Jewish friends in London, many wanted both the Proteas and England to flourish in the World Cup. They turned out in good numbers at a breakfast event last month in central London, at which Dr Ali Bacher and Mike Procter spoke.

Another sub-set of the Jewish community, the small number of Irish Jews in London, have been excited by this week’s first ever test match against England. For a small Jewish community, the Irish Jewish community has made an outsized contribution to sport in that country. It has produced two captains of the national cricket team – Mark Cohen and Jason Molins.

For now, England has an Ashes to win, and the UK Jewish community is excited by what lies ahead over the next few weeks.

• Zaki Cooper is a London-based cricket fan, and co-author of “Cricket Grounds from the Air with Daniel Lightman QC.”